Automatic electric fluid-regulator



(No Model.)

R. C. PACE 8a E. II. SODEN.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC FLUID REGULATOR.

No. 358,691. Patented Mar. I, 1887.

rre diaries artnr RANSOM C. PAGE AND FRANCIS II. SODEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; SAID PAGE ASSIGNOR TO SUSAN O. PAGE, OE RAVENSVOOD, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC FLUID-REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,691, dated March 1, 1887.

Application filed September 2, 1886. Serial No. 212,456.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, RANsoM C. PAG-E and FRANcIs H. SODEN, both citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Fluid-Regulators, of which the follow ing is a specification.

Ouil invention, while serviceable in numerto ons instances where a fluid-supply is to be automatically cutoff and established, is particularly designed as an improvement in means for automatically regulating the temperature of a steam-heated room by cutting oft' the t 5 supply of steam to a steam-heater when the temperature of the room has risen to some determinate degree, and letting on the steamsupply when the temperature has fallen to some determinate lower degree.

The more prominent objects of our said improvement are to provide a simplified and efficient organization of parts, and to render ,the same sensitive and readily responsive to controlling iniiuenees.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other useful ends our improvement consists in matters hereinafter described, and particulariy pointed out in the claims. In carrying out our invention arotary valve for establishing and cutting oit' the fluid-supply is placed subject to fluid-pressure against its opposite ends, whereby it shall be balanced and adapted to be operated with comparatively little power.

Broadly considered, a rotary valve subject to duid-pressure on opposite sides is not new, as evidenced by United States Letters Patent Nos. 111,908 and 30'.t,751. Ve propose, however, to employ as an element in our particular combination and organization of mem bers a rotary valve possessing such distinctive features, for a purpose which will be hereinafter set forth.

The valve can be operated directly from a 4,5 thermostat; but, desirably, the thermostat is adapted for changing a battery-circuit from one to the other ot' two branch circuits, each of which includes an electro-magnet. The

armatures of the two electro-magnets are re- (No model.)

spectively attached to one and the other arms of a lever secured upon the valve-stem and electrically connected with the battery, and the terminals at one end of the two branch circuits are arranged with reference to the valve-lever, so that when the latter is operated by the attraction of one of the armatures it shall turn the valve and break the circuit, so as to avoid unnecessary use of the battery. Said operation on the part of the lever, while causing it to break connection with one of the branch circuits in order to break the circuit through the same, as aforesaid, brings the said lever in connection with the remaining branch circuit, ready for the establishment oi' a currentthrough the latter.

In the drawings, Figure l represents in elevation an apparatus embodying the principles of our invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same from a side at right angles to the plane of Fig. 1, the thermostat and circuit-wires being omitted. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section through thevalve and pipes. Fig. 4t represents in elevation thevalve-seat appended to the casing of the pressure-chamber. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan on line m Fig. 4.

In said apparatus communication is established and closed between the pipes A and A by means of a rotary valve, B. This valve is arranged to operate within a chamber, C, which is intersected by the passages of said pipes and formed within a shell or casing, C', that is desirably provided with threaded necks C2 and C3, whereby it may serve as a joint or coupling for connecting together a pair of pipe-sections. The passage through the pipes A A and the shell or casing C is practically the main huid-supply passage of the steam-heating or other like apparatus to which our invention is applied, although, forV convenience of description, we have herein termed the pipe A the supply-pipe 7 and the pipe A the delivery-pipe. The rotary valve is provided with one or more ports or passages, Ii, and is seated to turn upon a Correspondingly-apertured seat, D. This apertured seat or bearing is arranged within the valve-chamber, so as to provide between the supply-pipe A and the delivery-pipe A one or more ports or passages,

d, which are open when in register with the ports of the valve and closed when the valve is in position to place its ports out of register with the ports of its said seat or bearing. In order to hold the valve down upon its said apertured seat, and at the same time permit it to be readily turned, the upper end of the valve is subject to Huid-pressure derived from the source of supply through the medium of a leaking-passage, b', which is formed through the valve, so as to place the supply-pipe A in open communication with a chamber, d, within which the upper end ofthe body of said valve is tted to turn.

The valve is desirably provided with straight longitudinal ports or passages b, and has its body portion contracted intermediate ot' its ends, in order to place said ports in communication with the delivery-chamber C. The upper end portion of the valve above said contraction is suitably packed, so as to prevent leakage from the chamber d', in which it is titted to turn, and the lower end of the valve is provided with a pendent hollow stem or journal, b2, which extends down through a central opening in the apertured seat D, so as to both steady the valve and provide an appropriate inlet end for the leaking-passage, which connects the supply-pipe with the chamber d', for the purpose of permitting within the latter the presence of fluid-pressure. rIhe seat D may be-and as herein shown is-detachably held within the main shell or casing, to which end it is united by rods or connections d2 to a short cylindric casing, d3, that is removably secured within the supply-chamber C. Ilhe cylindric casing d3 serves to provide the pressure-chamber d, within which the upper end of the valvebody is fitted to work, and is conveniently coupled by a threaded joint with a neck or cap-piece, E, which is screwed into the top of the main shell C', and which serves to provide a bearing and stuffing-box for the stem I3 of the valve.

A rotary valve thus constructed is balanced by the application of fluid-pressure againstits two opposite sides or ends, whereby it can be readily turned about its axis, in order to open and close communication between the supply and delivery pipes. This ease with which said valve can be opened and closed permits it tobe operated by the application of a comparatively moderate degree of power, and it is herein proposed to automatically control its action by or through the medium of athermostat in a manner whereby when the valve is 2 employed to establish or cut off the supply of steam to a steam coil or heater within a room or apartment the temperature vof the latter may be regulated by causing the valve to be automatically closed to cut off the supply of steam when the temperature has risen to some required degree of heat, and automatically opened to let on steam when the temperature has fallen to some determinate lower degree.

The thermostat herein shown is of the simplest known construction, consisting of a compound plate which bends by the unequal expansion of the two metals by heat.

The thermostat is desirably connected with a battery, as at G, and employed to place in circuit with the latter either of the two electro-magnets H and H. These magnets have their armatures-attached, respectively, to opposite ends of an oscillatory lever, I, that is secured between its ends upon the valve-stem, whereby one magnet can be utilized for operating the lever in av manner to close the valve, and thereby cut oft' the supply of steam, while the other magnet can be employed for operating the lever so as to open the valve for the purpose ot again letting on the steam-supply.

The thermostat is connected with the battery by a circuit-wire, K, while the handle or double-armed lever of the valve-stem is connected with the battery by the circuit-wire K. The two magnets are respectively arranged in one and the other of two branch circuits so disposed with reference to the thermostat and the valve-lever that the action of the thermostat may serve to establish the circuit through either one of said branches.

As herein illustrated, the free end of the thermostat is arranged between the contactpoints L and IWI, respectively belonging to one and the other of said branch circuits. The contact-point L is connected with the magnet H by the circuit-wire Z, and said magnet is connected by the circuit-wire Z with the spring Z2, which serves as a contact-point at this end ot' the branch circuit, in which the magnet His included. The contact-point M is similarly connected with a like spring contact-point-that is to say, said contact M is connected by the circuit-wire m with the magnet H', which latter is by the circuit-wire m connected with the spring-contact m2. The springs or contact-points Z2 and m2 can be secured to the heels or connecting-pieces of the electro-magnets, or to other suitable supports, and are desirably arranged as herein shown, wherein the spring Z2, belonging to the branch circuit in which the magnet H is included, is in position for connection with that arm of the valve-lever carrying the armature of the magnet H', while the spring m2 is similarly arranged with relation to the other arm of said lever.

By reason of such arrangement the thermo- 'stat can operate to automatically change the circuit from one branch circuit'to the other,

lwhile the lever can be utilized as a means for opening and closing the valve, and also as a means for completing the batterycircuit through either magnet and for breaking said circuit when said lever is operated to either open or close the valve. Forexample, assuming one of the arms of lever I to. be in Contact with the spring or contact-point Z2, with the valve open, and the temperature within the room to have risen to a degree sufficient to bend the thermostat to an extent to place the ICO lIO

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same in contact with the contact-point L, a`

. circuit will be established from the battery through the thermostat, the contact-point L,

the conductor Z, magnet H, conductor Z',

spring Z2, lever I, and conductor K', back to battery. The armature oi' magnet H being attracted will turn the lever I so as to close the valve,and thereby shut off the supply of steam,

which said action also throws the lever out of contact with the spring Z, thereby breaking the circuit and also bringing the lever into contact with the spring m2, so that it shallbe ready for the establishment of a circuit through the contact M, magnet H', and lever at such time as the thermostat may place itself in connection with the said contact M. By thus breaking the circuit, but leaving the valve still closed, the supply of steam is cut off and the battery immediately thrown out of operation,

thereby avoiding the expense incident to a continued use of the battery. As soon as a reduction of temperature takes place the thermostat will commence to unbend or spring back from the contact-point L. Should, now, the temperature drop to a degree sufficient to cause a reverse action on the part of the thermostat,

the latter will bend so as to make connection with the contact-point M, in which event a circuit will be established through the thermostat, the contact-point M, conductor m,magnet H', conductor m', spring m2, lever I, and conductor K,back to the battery,thereby placing the magnet H in circuit, so as to attract its armature and cause the lever I to turn to an extent sufficient to open the valve and let on steam, which action of the lever serves to break its connection with the spring or contact m2 and again place it in connection with the spring or contact Z2, thus opening the circuit and placing the lever in position ready for the re-establishment of a circuit through the contact-point L, the magnet H, and the lever at such time as the thermostat may make connection with the contact-point L.

In conclusion, it will bc observed that the rotary balanced valve B,which operates within the main fluid-supply passage, has its stem or spindle directly provided with a cross-bar or arms carrying the armatures of the electromagnets. This feature renders tbe apparatus distinct from those wherein a reciprocating valve is controlled by a diaphragm subject to pressure from an auxiliary duid-passage, into which latter Huid-pressure is let on and cut off by a valve in part controlled by the armatures of a couple of electro-magnets and in part by a spring, as in Patent No. 342,018.

What we claim as our invention is- 1. The combination, with the rotary rbalanced valve located for operation Within the main fluid-supply passage and subject at opposite ends to fluid-pressure, of a thermostat by which the said valve is controlled, and means whereby the action of the thermostat induced by a determinated increment of heat shall cause the valve to close, while on the other hand its action induced by a determinate reduction of heat shall cause said valve to open, substantially as described.

2. The rotary balanced valve located for operation Within and adapted for opening and closing the main steam or other fluid supply passage and a lever connected with the valvestein and carrying the two armatures of a couple of electro-magnets, in combination with a thermostat, the electro-magnets, and connections adapted for placing said electro-magnets alternately in abattery-circuit in a manner whereby the attraction of one armature shall serve to close and the attraction of the other armature serve to open the valve, substantially as de scribed.

3. The rotary balanced valve located for operation within the main Huid-supply passage and having-its stem provided with a lever which carries the armatures of a couplepf electro-magnets, and which is connected with one of the poles of a battery, in combination with a couple ot' branch circuits, each including one of the said magnets, the contacts Z and m, and a thermostat for automatically changing the circuit from one branch circuit to the other, substantially as described, whereby when one of the magnets is in circuit the attraction of its armature shall operate thelever to actuate the valve and break the circuit, but bring the lever into position ready for the establishment of a circuit through the other magnet, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a rotary valve located for operation within the main Huid supply passage and having its stem provided with a double-armed lever, each arm of which carries the armature of one of a couple of electromagnets, said lever being connected with one of the poles of a battery, of the thermostat F, connected with one of the poles of a battery and operative between the two contact-points L and M of a couple of branch circuits, respectively, including one or the other of the two magnets, and a couple of contacts, m2 and Zt, respectively arranged for making and breaking connection with the lever, one of said contacts being connected with one magnet and the other connected with the other magnet, substantially in the manner described.

' RANSOM C. PAGE.

FRANCIS H. SODEN.

Witnesses:

GHAs. G. PAGE, v L. S. Loca-N.

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